1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a resource allocation method and apparatus in a multi-channel system, and more particularly, to an efficient resource allocation method and apparatus in a multi-channel system in which a diversity channel and a band Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) channel coexist.
2. Description of the Related Art
A fourth generation (4G) communication system requires a technique for providing various Quality of Service (QoS) to users at a data rate of about 100 Mbps. Similar to a Local Area Network (LAN) system and a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN) system, the 4G communication system requires a high speed service that guarantees mobility and QoS. For example, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16e standard defines standards for supporting the high-speed service with the guaranteed mobility and QoS required by the 4G communication system.
The communication system according to the IEEE 802.16e standard can split the diversity channel and the band AMC channel into time unit zones. Using the diversity channel, the communication system can acquire the total frequency distribution gain using the channels distributed over the frequency band. Hence, a scheduler of a terminal does not seriously consider the position of the resource allocated from a Base Station (BS).
Using the band AMC channel, the communication system communicates by exclusively using channels of the frequency band having a good channel condition. Accordingly, using the band AMC channel, the scheduler of the terminal requests the BS to allocate the frequency band by taking into account the channel characteristic of the frequency band.
In the wireless MAN system, an information collection delay time for the channel is closely related to a system throughput. When the frame is long, it takes a considerable amount of time for the BS to collect channel information of terminals traveling in a given service coverage. In this case, the channel may severely change while the BS utilizes actual channel information for sending channel information and data provided from the terminals. Therefore, the long frame may depreciate the prediction of the channel condition and degrade the system throughput.
By contrast, when the frame is short, the BS gathers channel information of terminals in the service coverage over a short term. A more accurate channel prediction is possible due to a smaller channel change while the BS utilizes actual channel information for sending channel information and data provided from the terminals. Therefore, system development is required to reduce the frame length in order to efficiently send data.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional frame structure of a wireless MAN system.
The wireless MAN system can make the length of a physical (PHY) frame by 1 ms as shown in FIG. 1.
As discussed above, when the frame length is shortened in the communication system, it is possible to reduce the information collection time for the channels. However, when the frame length is short, the time of the frame is also shortened in the communication system. As a result, the frame length is too short to divide the diversity channel and the band AMC channel into the time-unit zones in the communication system.